Doing a full reinstall at the moment. Based on the advice I've collected here and in other threads, here's what I'm thinking about the various mods. I'm not including NPC mods. Note that I know I'm prejudging some of these, which is why I'm posting this, so I can be told when I'm just wrong
---------------------------
Absolutely will install in any BG2 mod install. By all accounts, simply too good and/or uncontroversial not to include:
Ascension
Oversight
Unfinished Business
Banter Pack
Item Upgrade
Ease of Use (except for concurrent romances)
Improved Oasis 2
----------------------------
The following are potential, but not must-have mods. I'll be trying some of them on this runthrough. Here's my commentary on what I'm having second thoughts about, based on what I've read or experienced, and these are the ones I'd most appreciate feedback on.
Ajoc's Mini-Mod, Black Rose Part I: Market Prices, Leutian's Mini Mod, Rahul Kanakia's Potion Quest - As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as too many (quality) quests. I know nothing of the above quests and whether they're worth installing or not or if their rewards are overpowered. Any comments on these would be appreciated.
Flirt Pack - I tried this one. A -great- idea, and the implementation is terrific, no bugs either that I can find, but the actual content (as far as I've taken it) is a bit lacking for my tastes. So far I've only tried it with Aerie, and I hate to say it, but her "subtly swaying her hips" has absolutely gotten on my last rawest nerve. If it's so damn subtle, why has it become the first thing I notice every freaking time she walks up to me? Argh!!!! It tries so hard (and so repeatedly) to invoke that mental image that it's just jarring every time I see it now. The content for her has also seemed a bit shallow - her responses a bit trite. I'd like to see a little more character development, maybe even a vestige of a sense of humor or (innocent) playfulness, rather than umpteen "You're so nice to me!" and "You make me feel so much better!" swoons. To be fair, though, I do have to add that due to bugs with other mods that forced me to stop my game I never got to experience the flirt pack after the romance with her was in full swing. Maybe it gets better later? I'll probably reinstall it again just to try it the whole way through, and I'll just force myself to ignore the relentless teeth-grating hip swaying.
Planar Sphere Mod - From what I've read, it sounds really good. I'm going to install it for this run-through, and will report when I know more. But looking at the forum, it does appear there's some bugs left to be ironed out. I haven't tried it yet, but if it lives up to it's promise (and the items/spells aren't too overpowered) it may move into the "must install" category (if you're playing a mage, anyway). If it -is- definetly overpowered, do let me know, please.
Planar Sphere Return Mod - distinct from the above mod (though repeatedly confused with it, including on this thread), all it does is add teleport capability to the planar sphere and back, and thus is just convenient. Really no reason not to install it if you're playing a mage, from what I can see. I'll be installing it, since yes, I'll be playing a mage.
G3 Anniversary Mod - I played this one all the way through. Very fun little mod that adds great flavor to the inns throughout Amthlatka. Would absolutely be in my Must-Install list if it weren't for a bug that breaks the final reward portion of the quest. When that's fixed, I'll move it to the must-install list.
Redemption/The Longer Road: They sound neat, but I really don't know much about them. I'm going to hold off on installing these, and experience Ascension without them, and if I play again after that I'll add these two. What's the concensus on these? Is there any reason to play Ascension without them first? I'm also guessing that Jon Irenicus is going to be a pretty massively overpowered NPC, but I'm open to be convinced otherwise.
Tactics - Ritual. I was looking forward to this quest at one point, but then read too many comments to the effect that the plot is "intentionally" shallow, and the rewards are overpowered, so probably won't bother trying it.
Tactics (Guarded Compound, Twisted Rune, Improved Undead, Improved Crypt King, Improved Mae'var, Gnome Illusionist, Improved Small Teeth Pass, Improved North Forest, Improved Marching Mountains): These are the primary ones out of Tactics that I'm planning on installing. I still have concerns about them, but in some cases the "improved" fight seems to be the only way of fixing some bugs, such as Mae'var not being able to cast spells and the Twisted Rune guys not using their equipment. I'd love it if there were fixes for just those problems that didn't come with extra cheese. Since that doesn't seem to be an option, these are the ones I'll be installing this time through, and crossing my fingers that they won't unbalance my game. Oh, please, if any of these provide really overpowered rewards or overly masochists challenges, please do let me know soon so I can avoid them. I don't want to unbalance this game.
Tactics (Torgal, Lich in the Docks, Tougher Kangaxx and Guardians, Random City Encounters, Random Wilderness Encounters, Improved Golems, Improved Mind Flayers, Smarter Beholders, Smarter Vampires, Slightly Tougher Demons) This is my list of those I'm NOT planning on installing these this time through, but I could be convinced otherwise - I just suspect from what I've read that they will unbalance my game. The list of Tactics mods I'm pretty much -not- open to be convinced to try are listed below, as I'm pretty much positive they're game unbalancing from what I've read.
Quest Pack - As discussed here, great potential not realized in the first version, but which may well move into the must-install list once version 2 is rolled out (someday)
I'll probably install it for this run-through just so I can clean up the Shadow Thieves in Chapter 6, and so I can give more informed suggestions for improving it in v2
Rogue Rebalancing - Chosen of Cyric encounter. I hear this one really is quite good, well balanced, and should be considered a must-install. I'll be trying it in the game I'm about to go through, and will report if I agree.
Refinements: Eh. I know a lot of people consider this one a must have, but from the readme, several of the HLA's seem both overpowered and not well balanced to me. In particular, I can't see why anyone would -ever- want to play the Undead Hunter paladin kit with it, as all paladins get HLA's that make the Undead Hunter's abilities redundant, and the HLA specific to Undead Hunters looks downright lame (if I want to "repulse undead", I'll have my cleric turn undead). That seemed so obvious to me from reading the readme that it made me suspicious of the rest.
Virtue: It seems like a neat idea, and I'm ALL for increasing the roleplay aspect of these games, but I was concerned in noting that attacking a particular red dragon in Watcher's Keep is considered an action that can make Paladins fall. The notion being that you have no overt reason to attack him, so you must just be bigoted against red dragons, and therefore not worthy of being a paladin? Sorry. Not buying it, especially for a Cavalier. That's why I'm skipping this one.
House Of Sim (other than Improved Oasis 2, which is a must-install): Nothing wrong with it, just nothing there I'm particularly interested in either.
-----------------------------
Never plan on installing again because they appear designed for the overpowered munchkin crowd, or can simply break the rest of the game by adding too much content/xp/loot too early on:
The Darkest Day
Check The Bodies
Shadows Over Soubar
Ruad
Improved Anarg (the helm seems overpowered/unbalanced to me)
Tactics (Illych, Bohdi, Irenicus, Smarter Mages, Sahuagin City, Acid Kensai, Red Badge, Tougher Kangaxx and Guardians, Always Toughest Random Spawns, Tougher Druid Grove, Tougher Fire Giants, Improved Dragons) - these I'm convinced by various comments that I just don't want, they're just too cheesy to be fun for anyone but a devoted masochist, or provide overpowered rewards.
------------------------------
Any comments/rebuttals are welcome. And no offense at all intended to those whose work I may have criticized - I'm sure there's many people out there who would love your work, and many people who have no problem at all with what I consider overpowered rewards or masochist battles, they're just concerns in my book. I'm on a quest to flesh out a really good "middle of the road" install list for the player for whom an extra challenge is good but balance is a concern and who aren't masochists. Heck, I may even draw up a walkthrough that includes them once such a list is firmed up.
Qwinn
